Method and apparatus for lapping food dough

ABSTRACT

An object is to provide a method and an apparatus for lapping strip-shaped food dough onto a transporting unit without repeatedly applying tension or relaxation. A method of lapping food dough in which strip-shaped food dough being continuously conveyed is lapped onto the transporting unit configured to transport the food dough in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the food dough. The method includes the steps of conveying the conveyed food dough  9  to a swing guide member  137  through a swing conveyor  135  swingable in a vertical direction, the swing guide member provided at a tip end of the swing conveyor  135  so as to be swingable in a direction being horizontal and intersecting a transportation direction of the transporting unit  15 , and always maintaining an almost constant clearance between a tip end of the swing guide member  137  and a transport surface of the transporting member  15  and thereby maintaining an almost constant length of the food dough  9  from a base end of the swing conveyor  135  to the transport surface of the transporting unit  15.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for lapping food dough in which food dough extended into a long and thin shape such as a strip shape (a sheet shape) by a extending apparatus and continuously conveyed by conveyance means like a belt conveyor is continuously lapped onto a transporting unit configured to transport the food dough in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the conveyance unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for lapping food dough while always conveying the food dough at a constant speed so as not to make the food dough stretched or loose.

BACKGROUND ART

Food dough extended into a strip shape by a extending apparatus is processed in the following manner in order that the extending direction of the strip-shaped food dough extended by the extending apparatus can be arranged in various directions in the resultant food dough. Specifically, when being lapped onto a transport surface of a transporting unit, the extended food dough is lapped to have its portions overlapped in triangle shapes by being reciprocated in a width direction of the transport surface. Thereafter, the lapped food dough is again stretched out. Here, Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose the related art for lapping the strip-shaped food dough onto a transport surface of a transporting unit in a manner that portions of strip-shaped food dough overlap in triangular shapes.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

[Patent Literature 1]

-   Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 54-70488     [Patent Literature 2] -   Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 54-11988

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problems

The configuration disclosed in the above-described Patent Literature 1 includes an upper slider and a lower slider positioned above a transporting unit and being horizontally movable in a direction perpendicular to a transportation direction of the transporting unit. Here, the upper slider includes a pair of bars for holding food dough in a horizontal direction while the lower slider includes a pair of bars for holding the food dough in a vertical direction. While the upper and lower sliders are moved in mutually opposite directions, the strip-shaped food dough guided by the pairs of bars provided respectively on the upper and lower sliders is lapped onto a transport surface of the transporting unit.

According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to lap the strip-shaped food dough continuously onto the transport surface of the transporting unit in a manner that portions of the food dough overlap in triangular shapes. However, in the above-described configuration, the upper and lower sliders are designed to reciprocate mutually in the opposite directions. Accordingly, a distance between the upper and lower sliders becomes minimum when the upper and lower sliders are located on a vertical line. The distance between the sliders gradually increases as the sliders move in mutually separating directions. On the other hand, the distance gradually decreases when the sliders move in mutually approaching directions.

In other words, the configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is undesirable because the food dough is repeatedly made stretched and loose.

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 2, food dough extend into a strip shape is rolled on a roll, and is guided by a swing arm swingable in a direction (a width direction) perpendicular to a transportation direction of a transporting unit while being transported downward from a high position after being unrolled from the roll. In this configuration, a lower end of the swing arm is configured to swing in an arc shape. Accordingly, a clearance (referred to as a vertical interval) between the lower end of the swing arm and a transport surface of the transporting unit becomes minimum when the swing arm is located vertically and the vertical interval gradually increases as the swing arm moves in the width direction of the transporting unit.

In other words, the configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 2 is also undesirable because such a change in the vertical interval repeatedly makes the food dough stretched and loose, and also because the food dough lapped onto (folded and thus loaded on) the transport surface has an uneven width dimension.

Solution to Problems

The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned conventional problems. It therefore is an object of the present invention to provides a method and an apparatus for lapping food dough while always conveying the food dough at a constant speed so as not to make the food dough stretched or loose.

To achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of lapping food dough in which strip-shaped food dough continuously conveyed is lapped onto a transporting unit configured to transport the food dough in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the food dough, the method including the steps of: conveying the conveyed food dough to a swing guide member through a swing conveyor swingable in a vertical direction, the swing guide member provided at a tip end of the swing conveyor so as to be swingable in a direction being horizontal and intersecting a transportation direction of the transporting unit; and always maintaining an almost constant clearance between a tip end of the swing guide member and a transport surface of the transporting member and thereby maintaining an almost constant length of the food dough from a base end of the swing conveyor to the transport surface of the transporting unit.

To achieve the object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for lapping food dough in which strip-shaped food dough continuously conveyed is lapped onto a transporting unit configured to transport the food dough in a transportation direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the food dough, the apparatus including: a vertically swingable swing conveyor configured to convey the conveyed food dough in a direction identical to the conveyance direction; a swing guide member swingably provided on a tip end of the swing conveyor, the swing guide member being swingable in a direction being horizontal and intersecting the transportation direction of the transporting unit; and a guide member positioned above the transporting unit and configured to guide a tip end of the swing guide member in a horizontal direction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention as it depending from the second aspect, there is provided the apparatus for lapping food dough, further including tip end reciprocating means configured to reciprocate the tip end of the swing guide member along the guide member.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to lap food dough onto a transport surface of a transporting unit continuously without stretching and loosening the food dough continuously conveyed, and thereby to solve the above-described problem of the related art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory left side view showing an overall configuration of a food dough extending apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view showing the overall configuration of the food dough extending apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory right side view of a main part showing a configuration for adjusting a position of a extending roller unit vertically.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the main part showing the configuration for adjusting the position of the extending roller unit vertically.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a configuration of the extending roller unit.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view showing the configuration of the extending roller unit.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of link plates.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory left side view showing main part of a lapping apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory plan view showing the main part of the lapping apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a food dough lapping apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The food dough lapping apparatus is provided downstream of a food dough extending apparatus for extending thick food dough into thin food dough.

As shown in FIG. 1, a food dough extending apparatus 1 includes a rectangular base plate 5 supported horizontally by multiple legs 3, and a conveyor supporting member 6 is provided at a central part in a left-right direction (which is a vertical direction with respect to a sheet surface in FIG. 1: an X-axis direction) of this base plate 5. Moreover, an upper end of an inclined transporting unit 7 extending in a front-rear direction (a Y-axis direction) and being inclined so as to locate a front side higher than a rear side (on the left side in FIG. 1), is connected to this conveyor supporting member 6. This inclined transporting unit 7 is formed of a general belt conveyor, for example, and has a function to transport (convey) thick food dough 9 to be extended to an upward direction.

A horizontal direction transporting unit 11 for transporting the food dough 9 transported by the inclined transporting unit 7 horizontally in a forward direction (in a rightward direction in FIG. 1), is provided at a position on the base plate 5 corresponding to the upper end (a transport terminal end) of the inclined transporting unit 7. This horizontal direction transporting unit 11 is formed of a general belt conveyor, for example, and has a function to transport (convey) the strip-shaped (sheet-shaped) food dough 9 after being extended into the thin form by a extending roller unit 13 to the forward direction.

When viewed in a conveyance direction of the food dough 9, a lapping apparatus 17 for lapping the food dough 9 after being extended into the thin form by the extending roller unit 13 is provided on a transport surface of a transporting unit 15 for transporting the food dough 9 in a direction (the left-right direction: the X-axis direction) intersecting the conveyance direction (the front-rear direction: the Y-axis direction) of the food dough 9 on a downstream side (the front side: the right side in FIG. 1) of the horizontal direction transporting unit 11.

The extending roller unit 13 is configured to extend the thick food dough 9 transported to the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 by the inclined transporting unit 7 into the thin form. This extending roller unit 13 is provided on a slide stand 19 so as to be vertically adjustable, the slide stand 19 provided movably in the front-rear direction on the base plate 5.

To be more precise, long guide rails 21 are respectively disposed in the front-rear direction in the vicinities of both left and right ends on an upper surface of the base plate 5, and left and right vertical frames 23 of the slide stand 19 are movably supported on the left and right guide rails 21 through slide guides 25. The left and right vertical frames 23 are connected integrally with each other by use of a connecting member 27 (see FIG. 4) formed into a long shape in the left-right direction and connected integrally with each other by use of a connecting bracket 29 disposed to stride over the inclined transporting unit 7. Moreover, this connecting bracket 29 is provided with a flouring device 31 for sprinkling (spraying) flour or the like on the food dough 9 transported by the inclined transporting unit 7.

Usually, the slide stand 19 is positioned to abut on a support plate 33 integrally installed upright at a front end of the base plate 5. As described previously, when the slide stand 19 is positioned to abut on the support plate 33, the slide stand 19 is fixably and releasably fixed by appropriate locking means (not shown) such as a so-called catch lock.

Therefore, when cleaning around an upper portion of the inclined transporting unit 7, the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 or the like, it is possible to move the slide stand 19 backward along the guide rails 21 while releasing fixation by the locking means. When the slide stand 19 is moved backward as described above, the extending roller unit 13 supported by the slide stand 19 is also integrally moved backward, thereby uncovering the vicinity of the upper portion of the inclined transporting unit 7, an upper side of the horizontal direction transporting unit 11, and the like. Accordingly, it is possible to clean the vicinity of the upper portion of the inclined transporting unit 7, the horizontal direction transporting unit 11, and the like easily.

In order to move the extending roller unit 13 vertically relative to the slide stand 19, outer side surfaces in the left-right direction of the vertical frames 23 are provided with guide members 35 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) inclined so that one end thereof is higher than the other end, the one end facing the inclined transporting unit 7 in a direction intersecting the direction of inclination of the inclined transporting unit 7. Meanwhile, left and right elevating plates 37 are supported vertically movably by these guide members 35 via slide guides 39. Moreover, support brackets 41 for supporting the extending roller unit 13 are integrally provided on the left and right elevating plates 37.

In order to vertically move the elevating plates 37 along the guide members 35, both ends of a rotating shaft 43 (see FIG. 4) which is long in the left-right direction is rotatably supported by the left and right vertical frames 23, and eccentric discs 45 are integrally attached to both ends of this rotating shaft 43. Moreover, link plates 47 to be displaced in a direction along the guide members 35 by rotation of the eccentric discs 45 are relatively rotatably engaged with the eccentric discs 45, and pin members 49 provided on the link plates 47 are engaged with bearings which are rotatably provided on the elevating plates 37. Here, a long hole or a slit (not shown) in a parallel direction to the guide member 35 is formed on each of the elevating plates 37 in order to avoid interference with the rotating shaft 43 that moves relatively.

According to the above described configuration, when rotating the rotating shaft 43 to rotate the eccentric discs 45, the link plates 47 are displaced in the direction along the guide members 35. Hence, the left and right elevating plates 37 are moved in obliquely vertical direction along the guide members 35.

To rotate the rotating shaft 43, a worm wheel 51 is integrally attached to one end of the rotating shaft 43 as appropriate. This worm wheel 51 is engaged with a worm 53 rotatably attached to the vertical frame 23. Moreover, a bevel gear 57 provided on an end of a worm shaft 55 having the worm 53 is engaged with another bevel gear (not shown) provided on a rotating shaft of a handle 59 which is rotatably supported by the vertical frame 23.

Therefore, the worm shaft 55 is rotated when the handle 59 is rotated appropriately, and then the worm wheel 51 is rotated via the worm 53 provided on this worm shaft 55. Hence the positions of the elevating plates 37 can be adjusted vertically by rotating the handle 59. Here, due to the engagement between the worm wheel 51 and the worm 53, the worm 53 will note be rotated by the worm wheel 51. Hence it is possible to fix and maintain the elevating plates at vertically adjusted positions without requiring any lock mechanisms and the like.

In order to detect an elevating position of the elevating plates 37 from a reference position (such as a bottom position of the elevating plates 37) when adjusting the elevating plates 37 vertically as described above, an elevating position detecting device 54 such as a dial gauge including a vertically movable sensing pin which abuts on part of the elevating plate 37 is provided on one of the vertical frames 23. Hence it is possible to detect a extending thickness when extending the food dough 9.

The extending roller unit 13 supported by the left and right support brackets 41 has the configuration as described below. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, left and right bearing bases 61 which are long in the front-rear direction (the Y-axis direction) are integrally attached onto the left and right support brackets 41, and both left and right ends of a drive shaft 65 rotated by a drive motor 63 attached to the support bracket 41 on the left side are rotatably supported on front ends of the left and right bearing bases 61. Moreover, both left and right ends of a support shaft 67 are supported on rear ends of the left and right bearing bases 61 so as to be capable of adjusting positions in directions to approach and to recede from the drive shaft 65. Further, both end portions of an appropriate number of reinforcing bars 69 which are long in the left-right direction are integrally connected to an intermediate portion of the left and right bearing bases 61 in the front-rear direction thereof.

Drive pulleys 71 are integrally attached to both left and right ends of the drive shaft 65. Meanwhile, driven pulleys 73 are rotatably supported on both left and right ends of the support shaft 67. Moreover, the left and right endless members 75 such as timing belts or chains are wound around the drive pulleys 71 and the driven pulleys 73. Multiple shaft connecting members 77 are attached at even intervals on peripheral surfaces of these left and right endless members 75, and both ends of roller support shafts 81 for rotatably supporting extending rollers 79 formed into a pipe shape that are long in the left-right direction, are detachably connected to the left and right shaft connecting members 77.

Furthermore, left and right dust sealing mechanisms 83 for inhibiting (preventing) circulation of air between inside of a traveling region of the extending rollers 79 and inside of a traveling region of endless members 75 are provided between both end portions of the respective extending rollers 79 and the left and right pair of endless members 75. To be more precise, as shown in FIG. 7A, sleeves 85 located close to both end portions of the extending rollers 79 are provided on both left and right ends of the respective roller support shafts 81. Moreover, an opening 87A formed on one end of the link plate 87 having the other end rotatably supported by one of the sleeves 85 is rotatably engaged with an adjacent sleeve 85. Therefore, the multiple link plates 87 supported by the respective sleeves 85 are formed into an annularly connected shape on the whole as shown in FIG. 7B.

As described above, outer guide members 89 (see FIG. 5) and inner guide members 91 for guiding an outer circumference and an inner circumference of the multiple link plates 87 connected into the annular shape while holding the outer circumference and the inner circumference from both left and right sides are provided. To be more precise, upper covers 93 formed into a square U-shape by uncovering lower ends of inner end edges 93A in the left-right direction are attached to the left and right bearing bases 61 so as to hold upper sides of the outer circumference of the multiple link plates 87 connected into the annular shape as shown in FIG. 5. Meanwhile, left and right brackets 95 protruding inward are provided inside the left and right support brackets 41, and lower covers 97 formed into a square U-shape by uncovering upper ends of inner end edges 97A in the left-right direction are attached to upper faces of the left and right brackets 95 so as to hold lower sides of the outer circumference of the multiple link plates 87 connected into the annular shape. Further, front and rear covers (not shown) having inner end edges formed into a square U-shape so as to hold the outer circumference of arc portions on front and rear sides of the link plates 87 connected into the annular shape are provided so as to be connected to the upper and lower covers 93 and 97.

According to the above-described configuration, the drive pulleys 71, the driven pulleys 73, the endless members 75, and the like on the left and right sides are located inside spaces enclosed by the upper and lower covers 93 and 97 as well as the front and rear covers.

The internal guide members 91 for guiding the inner circumference of the multiple annularly-connected link plates 87 while holding the inner circumference from both left and right sides are configured as described below. Specifically, each cover plate 98 (see FIG. 6) is long in the front-rear direction and is supported by either of ends of the reinforcing bars 69. Both upper and lower end edges of the cover plate 98 are provided with square U-shaped openings (details not shown) for guiding the inner circumference of the multiple annularly-connected link plates 87 while holding the inner circumference from the left-right direction. Moreover, end cover plates 99 each having a square U-shaped opening 99A in its arc-shaped outer peripheral edge are integrally connected and fixed to both front and rear ends of each of the cover plates 98 (the connection state not shown in details). The square U-shaped opening 99A is configured to hold the inner circumference in arc shapes of the multiple annularly-connected link plates 87 from either of the left and right sides and guiding the inner circumference.

As understood already, the drive pulleys 71, the driven pulleys 73, the endless members 75, and the like are surrounded by the upper and lower covers 93 and 97 as well as the front and rear covers, and are enclosed by the cover plates 98, the end cover plates 99, and the multiple link plates 87 connected into the annular shape. That is, the traveling regions of the endless members 75 are enclosed by the multiple covers and cover plates and are maintained in the state of preventing (inhibiting) easy circulation of the air to and from the traveling regions of the extending rollers 79 that are caused to revolve by means of movement of the endless members 75.

Accordingly, flour dust does not fall on the endless members 75 and the like when performing a extending operation on the food dough 9 by use of the extending rollers 79. Moreover, the dust coming off the endless members 75 does not fall on the extending rollers 79 and the like.

Here, the left and right upper covers 93 and the like are covered with left and right main body covers 101 attached to the support brackets 41 while both front and rear sides of the traveling regions of the extending roller 79 are covered with front and rear covers 103 (see FIG. 6) provided between both front and rear portions of the main body covers 101. Moreover, upper portions of the traveling regions of the extending rollers 79 are covered with openable covers 105 (see FIG. 5) openably provided in the front-rear direction relative to the front and rear covers 103 by use of hinge pins. That is, the front-rear direction and the upward direction of the traveling regions of the extending roller 79 are normally enclosed by the front and rear covers 103 and the openable covers 105.

Here, the brackets 95 are provided with contact bars 107 (see FIG. 5) which are long in the front-rear direction and which are for rolling the extending rollers 79 so as to allow the extending rollers 79 to rotate and extend the food dough 9 at the time of revolution.

In the above-described configuration, the flour is sprinkled from the flouring device 31 in the course of transportation onto the food dough 9 placed on the inclined transporting unit 7. Thereafter, when the food dough 9 is transported to the vicinity of an upper portion of the inclined transporting unit 7, the food dough 9 is interposed between the inclined transporting unit 7 and the extending rollers 79, which revolve horizontally by way of the extending roller unit 13 and which rotates while contacting the contact bars 107. Hence the food dough 9 is transported to the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 and is subjected to the extending operation. In this case, the flour or the like does not enter the traveling regions of the endless members 75 as dust. Moreover, the dust or the like generated in the traveling regions of the endless members 75 does not enter the traveling regions of the extending rollers 79.

When performing the extending operation on the food dough 9 as described above, by adjusting a vertical position of the extending roller unit 13 in accordance with the thickness of the food dough 9 transported by the inclined transporting unit 7, the extending roller unit 13 is adjusted in the obliquely vertical direction along the inclined guide members 35 as described previously. Specifically, when the food dough 9 is still thick, the extending roller 13 is lifted obliquely so as to protrude toward the inclined transporting unit 7 by adjusting the vertical position of the extending roller unit 13 in the obliquely upward direction.

Accordingly, a clearance in the vertical direction between the inclined transporting unit 7 and the extending roller unit 13 for interposing (holding) the food dough 9 is increased, and a range of the extending operation while holding the food dough 9 by use of the inclined transporting unit 7 and the extending roller unit 13 becomes longer. In other words, the clearance for a compressing and sending region for compressing the food dough 9 between the extending roller unit 13 and the inclined transporting unit 7 and for sending the food dough 9 toward the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 is increased, and the compressing and sending region becomes longer in the front-rear direction at the same time.

Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a tendency that the thick food dough 9 is lifted up in the vicinity of an entrance between the extending roller unit 13 and the inclined transporting unit 7 and to suppress rapid thinning of the thick food dough 9, i.e., to suppress a change rate of the thickness to a small level. In this way, it is possible to suppress an increase in an internal stress of the food dough 9 at the time of the extending operation.

Here, the extending operation on the food dough 9 is achieved by use of a difference in the transporting speed between the inclined transporting unit 7 and the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 and by use of a pressurizing operation of the extending rollers 79 which are rolled on an upper surface of the food dough 9. Moreover, upon completion of the extending operation on the food dough 9, it is possible to uncover the vicinity of the upper end of the inclined transporting unit 7 and the upper side of the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 by moving the extending roller unit 13 in the leftward direction in FIG. 1 as described previously. Hence it is possible to perform maintenance check, cleaning, and the like easily.

The horizontal direction transporting unit 11 is formed of a belt conveyor and is supported by the support plate 33 installed upright at the base plate 5. To explain further on this horizontal direction transporting unit 11, left and right support brackets 109 (see FIG. 9) protruding to the downstream side are integrally provided on the support plate 33, and both left and right ends of a rotating shaft 113 integrally provided with a roller 111 are rotatably supported by this support brackets 109. Moreover, one end of the rotating shaft 113 is interlocked and connected to a motor 115 which is attached to one of the support brackets 109. Furthermore, a conveyor belt 121 is wound around the roller 111 and a roller 119 supported by a roller bracket 117 (see FIG. 8) provided to protrude from the support plate 33 toward an upstream side.

Therefore, by driving the motor 115, the conveyor belt 121 in the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 transports the extended strip-shaped food dough 9 toward the lapping apparatus 17.

The lapping apparatus 17 for lapping the food dough 9 onto the transporting unit 15 has a configuration to be described below. The food dough 9 undergoes the extending operation by the extending rollers 79 provided on the extending roller unit 13 and thus is extended into the thin strip shape (the sheet shape).

Specifically, the lapping apparatus 17 is provided on the downstream side (on the right side in FIGS. 8 and 9) of the horizontal direction transporting unit 11. Moreover, the lapping apparatus 17 for lapping the strip-shaped food dough 9 transported (conveyed) by the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 onto the transporting unit 15 includes a roller shaft 123 located in the vicinity of the roller 111 in the horizontal direction transporting unit 11. Here, both left and right ends of the roller shaft 123 are rotatably supported by the left and right support brackets 109.

A roller 125 is integrally provided on this roller shaft 123. Meanwhile, base portions of left and right swing arms 127 swingable in the vertical direction are swingably supported on both ends of the roller shaft 123. Moreover, a conveyor belt 131 is wound around the roller 125 and a driven roller 129 rotatably supported on tip ends of the left and right swing arms 127. To rotate the conveyor belt 131, a motor 133 attached to one of the support brackets 109 is interlocked and connected to the roller shaft 123 via a belt, a chain, and the like.

As understood from the above-described configuration, the swing arms 127 and the conveyor belt 131 constitute a swing conveyor 135 which is vertically swingable. A swing guide member 137 provided to be swingable in the horizontal direction as well as in a direction (an orthogonal direction, the front-rear direction) intersecting the transportation direction of the transporting unit 15 is provided on a tip end of this swing conveyor 135. This swing guide member 137 is configured to perform an operation to guide the strip-shaped food dough 9 falling off (flowing down) from the tip end of the swing conveyor 135 onto the transport surface of the transporting unit 15.

To be more precise, the left and right swing arms 127 are provided with left and right support brackets 139 located outward of both ends of the driver roller 129, and the left and right support brackets 139 are respectively provided with left and right support shafts 141 located coaxially with the driver roller 129. Moreover, upper ends of left and right swing brackets 143 are supported by the left and right support shafts 141, whereby the swing brackets 143 are provided to be swingable around the support shafts 141 in the Y-axis direction (the front-rear direction).

Further, both left and right ends of a guide plate 145 large in size in the vertical and left-right directions are connected integrally to the left and right swing brackets 143 by bolts and the like with brackets and the like interposed therebetween. Meanwhile, a bracket 147 protruding forward is attached to a middle portion, in the longitudinal direction, of each of the left and right swing brackets 143. A guide plate 151 is attached to the bracket 147 to face the guide plate 145. The guide plate 151 forms a flow-down clearance 149 with the guide plate 145, and is capable of adjusting the width of the flow-down clearance 149. The flow-down clearance 149 allows the strip-shaped food dough 9 to flow down between the guide plate 145 and the guide plate 151. Guide rollers 145A and 151A which are rotatable in contact with the strip-shaped (sheet-shaped) food dough 9 that falls through the flow-down clearance 149 are provided rotatably on lower ends of the guide plates 145 and 151 facing each other in the front-rear direction.

In order to swing the swing guide member 137 horizontally in the front-rear direction (the Y-axis direction), a protruding frame 153 is provided to significantly protrude forward from the support plate 33. This protruding frame 153 is provided to intersect a position above the transporting unit 15 at right angles to the transportation direction of the transporting unit 15. This protruding frame 153 includes a vertical wall portion 153V and an upper horizontal wall portion 153H. Accordingly, a vertical sectional shape of the protruding frame 153 is an inverted L-shape.

Moreover, a guide rail (a guide member) 155 which is long in the front-rear direction (the Y-axis direction) is horizontally attached to a lower surface of the horizontal wall portion 153H, and a slider 157 movably supported by this guide rail 155 is connected to one of the swing brackets 143 via a connecting member 159. Moreover, a motor 161 is attached to a rear end of the vertical wall portion 153V of the protruding frame 153, and a drive pulley 165 is integrally attached to a drive shaft 163 rotated by this motor 161. Further, an endless member 169 such as a timing belt is wound around the drive pulley 165 and a driven pulley 167 provided rotatably on a tip end of the vertical wall portion 153V. This endless member 169 is connected relatively rotatably to the slider 157 by use of an appropriate connecting member.

Accordingly, when the motor 161 is rotated back and forth, the endless member 169 is rotated back and forth and the slider 157 is reciprocated in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 155. Hence, a lower portion of the swing guide member 137 is caused to swing horizontally in the front-rear direction in conjunction with reciprocation of the slider 157. That is, the motor 161, the endless member 169, and the like constitute a tip portion reciprocating unit for reciprocating the lower end (the tip end) of the swing guide member 137.

Here, by controlling forward and backward rotation of the motor 161 under control of a control device (not shown), it is possible to control positions of reciprocations of the slider 157 which reciprocates in the front-rear direction and a stroke length of the reciprocation.

As understood from the above-described configuration, the strip-shaped food dough 9 transported to the downstream side by the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 is conveyed to the swing conveyor 135 in the lapping apparatus 17. Thereafter, the food dough 9 falling from the tip end of the swing conveyor 135 flows down through the flow-down clearance 149 in the swing guide member 137. When the lower part of this swing guide member 137 moves from a vertical state to the forward direction (the right direction in FIG. 8), the food dough 9 is guided by the guide plate 145 and the guide roller 145A and is then lapped onto the transport surface of the transporting unit 15. Meanwhile, when the lower part of the swing guide member 137 moves from the vertical state to the backward direction, the food dough 9 is guided by the guide plate 151 and the guide roller 151A and is then lapped onto the transporting unit 15.

That is, by repeatedly swinging the swing guide member 137 in the front-rear direction, it is possible to repeatedly lapped the strip-shaped food dough 9 continuously conveyed, onto the transporting unit 15 while being lapped in the front-rear direction.

When lapping the food dough 9 on the transporting unit 15 as described above, the swing conveyor 135 swings vertically but a dimension of the clearance between the tip end (the lower end of the swing guide member 137 and the transport surface of the transporting unit 15 is always maintained at a constant value. Therefore, a length from the roller 125 at the base end of the swing conveyor 135 to the transport surface of the transporting unit 15 for lapping the food dough 9 is always maintained at substantially a constant value. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent tension or relaxation to the food dough 9 when lapping the food dough 9 onto the transporting unit 15 while swinging the swing guide member 137 in the front-rear direction.

The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-053106 (filed on Mar. 6, 2009) are incorporated herein by reference.

Although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art, in light of the above teachings. The scope of the invention is defined with reference to the following claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   1 FOOD DOUGH EXTENDING APPARATUS -   5 BASE PLATE -   7 INCLINED TRANSPORTING UNIT -   9 FOOD DOUGH -   11 HORIZONTAL DIRECTION TRANSPORTING UNIT -   13 EXTENDING ROLLER UNIT -   15 TRANSPORTING UNIT -   17 LAPPING APPARATUS -   19 SLIDE STAND -   21, 155 GUIDE RAILS -   35 GUIDE MEMBER -   37 ELEVATING PLATE -   39 SLIDE GUIDE -   41 SUPPORT BRACKET -   43 ROTATING SHAFT -   45 ECCENTRIC DISC -   49 PIN MEMBER -   51 WORM WHEEL -   53 WORM -   59 HANDLE -   63 DRIVE MOTOR -   65 DRIVE SHAFT -   67 SUPPORT SHAFT -   69 REINFORCING BAR -   71, 165 DRIVE PULLEYS -   73, 167 DRIVEN PULLEYS -   75, 169 ENDLESS MEMBERS -   79 EXTENDING ROLLER -   83 DUST SEALING MECHANISM -   85 SLEEVE -   87 LINK PLATE -   87A, 99A OPENINGS -   89 EXTERNAL GUIDE MEMBER -   91 INTERNAL GUIDE MEMBER -   93 UPPER COVER -   93A INNER END EDGE -   99 END COVER PLATE -   101 MAIN BODY COVER -   103 FRONT (REAR) COVER -   105 OPENABLE COVER -   107 CONTACT BAR -   111, 119, 125 ROLLERS -   113 ROTATING SHAFT -   121, 131 CONVEYOR BELTS -   127 SWING ARM -   129 DRIVEN ROLLER -   135 SWING CONVEYOR -   137 SWING GUIDE MEMBER -   143 SWING BRACKET -   145, 151 GUIDE PLATES -   145A, 151A GUIDE ROLLERS -   149 FLOW-DOWN CLEARANCE -   153 PROTRUDING FRAME -   153V VERTICAL WALL PORTION -   153H HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION -   157 SLIDER 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of lapping food dough in which strip-shaped food dough continuously conveyed is lapped onto a transporting unit configured to transport the food dough in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the food dough, the method comprising: conveying the conveyed food dough to a swing guide member through a swing conveyor swingable in a vertical direction, the swing guide member provided at a tip end of the swing conveyor so as to be swingable in a direction being horizontal and intersecting a transportation direction of the transporting unit; and always maintaining an almost constant clearance between a tip end of the swing guide member and a transport surface of the transporting unit and thereby maintaining an almost constant length of the food dough from a base end of the swing conveyor to the transport surface of the transporting unit.
 2. An apparatus for lapping food dough in which strip-shaped food dough continuously conveyed is lapped onto a transporting unit configured to transport the food dough in a transportation direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the food dough, the apparatus comprising: a vertically swingable swing conveyor configured to convey the conveyed food dough in a direction identical to the conveyance direction; a swing guide member swingably provided on a tip end of the swing conveyor, the swing guide member being swingable in a direction being horizontal and intersecting the transportation direction of the transporting unit; and a guide member positioned above the transporting unit and configured to guide a tip end of the swing guide member in a horizontal direction.
 3. The apparatus for lapping food dough according to claim 2, further comprising a tip end reciprocating unit configured to reciprocate the tip end of the swing guide member along the guide member. 